Tarmina Video

Taormina is in the province of Messina, together with the beautiful Aeolian Islands and the ancient city of Milazzo. It can be reached via highway from Messina to the North and Catania to the South. Taormina has been a very popular destination with tourists since the 19th century. It has beautiful beaches (accessible via a funicular) by the Ionian Sea, which is remarkably warm and has a high salt content.

Video (7:19)

Ferragosto in Messina (August 15)

August 15, 2011
10:00 am	to	11:59 pm

Today is August 15, which is called Ferragosto, an Italian holiday traditionally believed by Roman Catholics to be the day when the Blessed Virgin Mary was bodily assumed in to heaven (on the right, you see the statue carried in the procession in Messina).

This holiday was celebrated in the Roman Empire to honor the gods -specifically Diana- and the cycle of fertility and maturity. In fact, the present name of the holiday is taken from its original title of Feriae Augusti (from Wikipedia).

Ferragosto is a big national day in Italy: everything is closed and you barely find a doctor in case of emergency.

 

The Gigante and Gigantessa

 

The Gigante and Gigantessa are on view in Messina from August 10. Messina celebrates Ferragosto mixing sacred and profane traditions.
Prior to August 15, the colossal statues of a couple of giants on horseback – a Moor called Grifone and a inhabitant of the village of Camaro (above Messina) called Mata, founders of the city according to the myth (in the photo) – are taken around the city.

 

Video (1:06)

 

Map

 

Traveling to the Benanti Winery and Taormina (Video)

Here is a short video that introduces the Benanti Winery nearby Taormina.

Video (3:13)

Palio dei Normanni (Video)

August 12, 2011 1:00 pm

to

August 14, 2011 11:30 pm

Piazza Armerina celebrates the Palio dei Normanni, an event that commemorates the historical moment when Italy was set free from the Saracens. The program extends throughout three days and starts with a procession in historical costumes which goes through the town and arrives at the cathedral where a mass takes place and the knights of the city are blessed.

Map

Agrigento (Video)

Agrigento is a major tourist center thanks to its extraordinarily rich archaeological legacy. It also serves as an agricultural center for the surrounding region. Sulfur and potash have been mined locally since Roman times and are exported from the nearby harbor of Porto Empedocle (named after the philosopher Empedocles who lived in ancient Akragas).

Video (00:55)

Fishing in Sicily (Video)

Fishing is an ancient activity in Sicily, but it still does have a great economic impact today. Sicilian fishermen caught 49,680 tons of fish in 2009. Fishing is also becoming a tourist activity with travelers increasingly interested in meeting local fishermen and experiencing this activity directly.

Video (1:51)

Mount Etna Erupts with Incredible Views of Light and Fire (Video & Photos)

On July 30, Mount Etna erupted treating residents and travelers to a spectacular show of tectonic fireworks. Mount Etna (also known locally as Mongibeddu in Sicilian and Mongibello in Italian) is an active volcano on the east coast of Sicily, close to Messina and Catania. It is the largest volcano in Europe, currently standing about 10,991 ft (3,350 m) high, though it should be noted that this varies with summit eruptions (the mountain is 71 ft (21,6 m) lower now than it was in 1865). It is the highest mountain in Italy south of the Alps. Etna covers an area of 460 square miles (1190 km²). This makes it by far the largest of the three active volcanoes in Italy, being nearly three times the height of the next largest, Mount Vesuvius. [Wikipedia]

 

Spectacular Video (3:26)

Photos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

86th Edition of Giro Podistico di Castelbuono

Gebre Gebremariam (Winner of New York Marathon 2010), Emmanuel Mutai (London 2011), and Geoffery Mutai (Boston 2011) gathered in Sicily for 86th edition of Giro Podistico di Castelbuono, the most ancient race in Europe. Interview by Andrea Giannini (4:58).

Boston Marathon winner Geoffrey Mutai added his name to the prestigious list of long-distance stars who won the Giro di Castelbuono on July 26, 2011.

Map

 

 

Siracusa (Video)

The area of what is today Siracusa was settled in ancient times, as showed by the findings in the villages of Stentinello, Ognina, Plemmirio, Matrensa, Cozzo Pantano and Thapsos,all of whom lready had links to Mycenaean Greece.

Siracusa was founded in 734 or 733 BC by Greek settlers from Corinth, led by the oecist Archias, who called it Sirako, referring to a nearby swamp. The nucleus of the ancient city was the small island of Ortygia. The settlers found the land to be fertile and the native tribes to be reasonably well-disposed to their presence. The city grew and prospered, and for some time stood as the most powerful Greek city anywhere in the Mediterranean.  (from Wikipedia).

A beautiful video of the archeological area of Siracusa (3:10).

Map

Cefalù (Video)

« Previous Page — Next Page »